Why Creative People Are So Complex.

…it’s just a way of living.

Recently, I have been browsing through the internet and making the most of my spare time (by this, I mean the length it takes to export a video!) by doing some additional online reading on various topics.

Today, I came across a couple of articles focusing on artists, or creative people over all, and how they can come across as quite complex… or difficult.

If you have ever worked with somebody from a creative background, or maybe they know a lot about a specific subject that involves creativity, unless you both have come to a constant mutual agreement, there may have been times, where you have experienced this creative individual to be quite complex. If so, I completely understand. I am also one of those complex guys, but there is no shame about it. It’s just a way of living.

“Creative people have a great deal of physical energy, but they’re also often quiet and at rest. They work long hours, with great concentration, while projecting an aura of freshness and enthusiasm…This does not mean that creative people are hyperactive, always “on.” In fact, they rest often and sleep a lot. The important thing is that they control their energy; it’s not ruled by the calendar, the dock, an external schedule. When necessary, they can focus it like a laser beam; when not, creative types immediately recharge their batteries. They consider the rhythm of activity followed by idleness or reflection very important for the success of their work.” — Huffington Post.

Now, this being said, creative people tend to be quite versatile, in many ways where they want to keep working with what they think they know more about than other talents. Then again, it’s not about what you know, it’s about how you achieve these talents, and come across these incredible ideas that one may have, and within todays day and age, will never be seen as originality.

From my experience working with various talents within creative arts, I have come across many individuals who find their new developments by looking for inspiration and ideas from other sources. This may seem like an obvious way of note taking new creativity, but it’s actually a lot harder than it really is. For instance, I would simply browse Vimeo to get a couple of ideas (I find Youtube quite disturbing when looking for inspiration), but I don’t really want to copy anybody’s work, yet what’s more frustrating is that every creative person is doing the same thing, so really there is no more, ‘I invented that’ malarkey, it’s more about adapting ideas from various developments that have already been established and incorporating them together.

Working within a creative field can obviously be exciting, but slightly daunting, as well as going through head bashing phases every now and then. It has come to my attention that creative individuals have a way of learning, doing, seeing, smelling, even wearing. My way of learning would be to become apart of an environment you’re not very familiar with, or talk to people you wouldn’t normally associate yourself with. I find meeting with people, such as simply going for a coffee with a friend can help transform new shapes and formulations. I don’t mean by specifically going to talk about an amazing concept you have already come up with, I mean to literally, just talk about life. Sometimes this can be quite soothing and refreshing. Naturally, you may get an idea just from simply discussing about general rubbish.

“Creative people’s openness and sensitivity often exposes them to suffering and pain, yet also to a great deal of enjoyment… Being alone at the forefront of a discipline also leaves you exposed and vulnerable.” — Huffington Post.

There has been a time when I have gone out and said… ‘hey! look at what I have done’, to bloat myself to other people, because, we all know when we do well in life, we feel good about our achievements and feel the need to share it with others. It’s purely natural to do this. In spite of this, I believe that ‘creative people’s openness and sensitivity often exposes them to suffering and pain, yet also to a great deal of enjoyment’, is a true fact about how creative people can be.

I have been in many situations where giving feedback on a piece of work has been taken to heart, which can course trouble with the artist’s emotions when they have had their work critiqued. I have always said to myself, ‘why moan about it? man up and improve on your next project by taking the feedback onboard’. If you call yourself an artist, or a creative person, you should be able to take criticism and be professional about what others say about your work. If it benefits you and your progression in the future, they are pretty much helping you, so be realistic and take their advice or opinion.

Before you even consider producing creative content and exposing it on the world wide web or at exhibitions, be aware of what others may say about your work, and be prepared. If your work is being exposed online and you receive critical feedback… you may (or may not) get a little annoyed, because this person may not understand the amount of hard work and sweat you have put in to this project, however, responding in an immature manner can have an impact on improving your work. That’s my opinion anyway.

I have never really been sensitive about any work I have produced, mainly because I never think of any project as my best work, otherwise, how will your then improve? If somebody were to criticise the hell out of a video I have worked on, I would appreciate their comments, but of course I would be expecting some kind of elaboration after giving their opinion. On the other hand, I can be very defensive towards the subject itself, this being Film Production/Digital Video. Many, many, many people have pissed me off so much, simply by saying ‘video is easy’, ‘your job is easy’, and ‘all you have to do is press record’. We all laugh together about how creative people are seen as a bunch, and that they don’t work as hard as others, such as as a simple 9-5 job.

Actually…

they are wrong.

From my POV, creative people can be a lot more hard working than many other people who are working (hard of course) in what is seen as the more ‘higher’ end of the working environment, like finance, consulting, computing, teaching, and so on. If you are an artist, like a painter, illustrator, photographer or filmmaker, you are more than likely to progress passion and drive about what it is you do. Creativity does not land when you’re born, nor does it come instantly when you are fascinated with what your friend has put together. Creativity takes a lot of time, effort and hell of a lot of hard work to be able to create something interesting, not only for yourself, but for those who you hope to share your work with.

Creativity consists of long hours, knowledge and the willingness to take risks and accept challenges in multiple platforms that may not be involved in many other jobs.